Former contaminated site finds new life in downtown Durham, NC
The Vega is a mixed-use residential and commercial development completed in 2023, located in downtown Durham. The property qualified for the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (NCDEQ) Brownfields Redevelopment Section. Past uses left contamination on the site. These issues were addressed before the redevelopment of the site with the current mixed-use building.
The new building includes commercial spaces, parking, resident storage lockers, a lobby, and mail kiosks on the ground floor. Residential spaces are located above.
Property’s past lives contribute to soil contamination
Before the new building, various tenants or owners used the property in ways that contaminated the soil. From 1937 to 2020, many businesses used the property. These included auto repair shops, mill shops, and roofing companies. They also included beverage distributors, car rental businesses, and taxi companies. Used car dealers and metal fabricators also operated there. One of these fabricators, named Vega Metals, led to the new building’s name.
The Brownfields redevelopment process
WithersRavenel’s Environmental Geosciences Team joined the project at the developer’s request. They helped guide the Brownfields redevelopment process. This process included soil and groundwater contamination assessments. It also included preparing the Environmental Management Plan required by the Brownfields Program.
Soil remediation and Vapor Intrusion Mitigation System added
WithersRavenel also assisted by overseeing soil remediation activities and designing a Vapor Intrusion Mitigation System (VIMS). They oversaw construction at VIMS. They also monitored indoor air and sub-slab vapor for volatile organic compounds. This demonstrated that the VIMS functions as designed for the protection of the residents and patrons of the building.
Under Brownfields Redevelopment Section requirements, WithersRavenel collected sub-slab vapor and indoor air samples. This occurred after the VIMS was activated. Based on the lab results for these samples, the VIMS is working as designed, which is protecting building residents and patrons.